Having your say on gadgets and gizmos

Nikki Holliday and Aimee Walker(researchers)

Health Design & Technology Institute, Coventry University

Overview

• Who are we?

• What do we do?

• What have we done?

• How can you get involved?

Who are we?

What do we do?

• Promoting the self-management of health, wellbeing, and independent living in a community setting

•Improving products and services in the community healthcare and wellbeing sector

•Focusing on people with long term conditions, disabled people and the ageing population

•Helping people maintain an active economic and social life

What do we do?

Business

Health and social

care

Users & Carers

Academics

What do we do?

HDTI

Product design

Usability testing

Health apps

Design and build

Testing with users and carers

Why do we do what we do?

• Helps to avoid making products or technology that causes more problems than it solves

• Products are designed taking into consideration the views and experiences of people (not just the designers!)

• Also take into consideration the views of health and social care professionals – those working at the front end of health and social care

• “Design for all” – what works for older and disabled people will work for everyone else

How do we do it?

Idea or concept/drawings

Prototype

Working prototype

Established product

How do we do it?

Idea or concept/drawings

Prototype

Working prototype

Established product

How do we do it?

Idea or concept/drawings

Prototype

Working prototype

Established product

How do we do it?

Idea or concept/drawings

Prototype

Working prototype

Established product

How do we do it?

Idea or concept/drawings

Prototype

Working prototype

Established product

Who do we do it with?

People like you!

Photograph: Age Action Alliance

What are we interested in?

• Is it easy to use?• Is it easy to learn to use?• Is it enjoyable to use?• Does it look good?• Do people value it?• Does it help people?• Would they recommend

it to other people?• Is it value for money?

Photograph: Age Action Alliance

An example of a project• AroundME™ : a service to help older or

vulnerable people live independently, and to help their friends and relatives more easily support them

• Uses sensors placed around the home to pick up on signs to indicate whether a person is OK or not

• Then sends text messages to let their chosen friends/family that they are up and about, and OK

What did we want to find out?

• What does being OK mean?

• What are people’s daily routines?

• What sensors can provide useful information about a person’s daily routine?

• What sensors are OK?• What sensors are not OK?

Testing the system

Testing the system

Your friend is active

Your friend is inactive

Your friend’s house is cold

Who did we test it with?

• 12 ‘Neighbourhoods’ from Coventry, Warwickshire and the wider Midlands– 14 users (two houses had couples as the

main users– 19 carers and responders– 3 families had a user with dementia

• Users aged 55-85 years• 12 week trial period• Interviews at 6 weeks and 12 weeks

What did we find?

• Overwhelmingly positive feedback

• Promoted greater understanding, awareness, reassurance, and involvement between the personal networked neighbourhoods

• People liked the focus on positive wellbeing and activity messages

What did we find?• Issues around installation and set up

• People disliked the impersonal messaging

• Temperature monitor did not work for some household

• Possible confusion for people with dementia

• All wanted to continue to use the equipment

• Prior to testing, people were worried that the technology would reduce social contact amongst families. We found this this service increased contact amongst people!

The participant’s view

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NsNgaK7hZk

What’s next?

• Further research to refine service based on findings

• New equipment to be chosen to provide service at a price people are willing to pay

• Partnering with an existing business to scale up the service

• Test new, improved service with 1000 people!

What other projects have we done?

• Adaptive clothing for soldiers with disabilities• Walk in baths• Commodes• Easy-tie shoelaces• Rise and recline chairs• Walking stick handles• Pyjamas to ease ‘hot flush’ discomfort• Fall detectors• App aimed at helping people to reduce falls risks in the

home• Website to help terminally ill people organise their care

A note...

• Not all projects require you to test things in your own home over a number of months

• Some projects will just involve you taking part in a one off interview (either on the phone or face to face), group interview, or workshop

• You will always know upfront what level of commitment you will need before taking part

Why take part?

• Contribute to the development of products and services designed to help people

• Positive feedback good, but negative feedback can also be used constructively to improve a product

• Stop people wasting money on designing things nobody wants

• Have a look at new and upcoming products

• Meet new people

• Have your say!

How do I take part?

Online:www.survey.bris.ac.uk/coventry/hdtidatabase

Telephone:Aimee (024 7615 8008) Nikki (024 7615 8012)

In person:Come and visit us at our stand today and we will take your details

We will then get in touch with you when we have a project we think you might be interested in.

Current opportunities

• Any current recruitment opportunities – include here.

Any questions?